A Little Slice of Random

 Well, there is not too much to report around here....

Starting Thursday Chandler started running a REALLY high temp even on antibiotics. It pretty much continued around the clock for 4 days!

 

This is our neighbor "Uncle Matt" he is the funniest and sweetest 23 year old guy and Chandler LOVES him! He went outside to watch the football game and sat down with her and he was gone for like 30 minutes and when we went out to check on him this was why... he was too scared he was going to wake her up! This is how she spent most of the weeeknd. Asleep, pitiful, cranky with a fever. It was for the birds I tell ya!

 

It wasn't until Monday that this happened....

She broke out everywhere and after a little research we realized that she had Roseola. I mean really, could we get anymore random? Poor thing! Luckily when the fever breaks the rash breaks out and it is pretty much over!

Thankfully this poor baby woke up clear today with a smile on her face! It was a rough weekend with lots of snuggling. It was kind of nice (not her being sick of course) but just having down time. I needed it, my mind and body needed it!

 

Yesterday I took off a little early to go get Chandler from Mamaw's house but the stinker had fallen asleep so.... Annie had, had a pretty rough morning. Being the middle child is hard and when you are the strong willed middle child it is even harder. So, I decided to pick her up with an open mind and heart and forget how terrible the morning was and just really focus on her! It was AWESOME! We stopped and got a snack at the gas station (for some reason to my kids that is better than ice cream) and then we went home laid on a blanket and painted her toes and nails and talked. She said "Mommy, I love you so much I wish we could do this everyday" me too baby girl, me too!

We then decided to walk to Mamaw's house which is probably a little less than 2 miles away but between being completely out of shape and pushing a 45 pound child and a double stroller that weighed 25 pounds I was worn out!!  But then I saw this...

And realized God is Good, no matter how out of breathe I was!!

 

Last but not least I am NOT a fan of school pictures. I just think they are dated and in this day and age we take so many pictures that the school pics just don't really do it for me especially not at the outrageous prices they want us to pay! But then I got this.... OH MY WORD, why does he look like he is 10? It broke my heart, he looks SO old! Words can not describe the way this boy has his mama's heart!

 

And guess what..... it's HUMP DAY! WOOT WOOT!!!

Comfort Zone

I will be the first to admit I love my comfort zone and I have realized that the older I get the smaller my comfort zone becomes. I have never been a risk taker,  I like to try new things less and less and change usually gives me anxiety but it seems like lately I have had a tugging at my heart that keeps asking me to step out of my comfort zone. It seems like these doors keep on opening and Tex and I keep on walking thru not knowing what is on the other side. It is testing both of our comfort zones but we both feel very driven to keep stepping out...

 

Yesterday Palmer inspired me!! I watched as my non-risk taker, structured, planner child spontaneously decided that he wanted to run a "running club" race because his cousins were. He had NO idea what to expect and for Palmer that meant LEAPING out of his comfort zone.

 

This race meant hundreds of kids everywhere, bull horns and pure chaos. I could almost see Palmer waving goodbye to his comfort zone thru his eyes. You can tell in this picture the excitement but the concern of not knowing what was to come. I watched as his little body lined up with hundreds of other kids to run a race where he did not know the track or even where it ended. I watched as he quietly but persistently waited for his best friend to get there so he could have a small sliver of comfort standing beside him in this big and uncomfortable moment. Most importantly I saw him be more brave than I could have ever imagined. Even a year ago Palmer would have NEVER been able to do this... the crowds, the noise, the bull horns, the uncertainty, simply it was just too much.

 

 

But yesterday he made the decision to step out of his comfort zone. I watched as the bull horn sounded and all of those kids took off and Palmer went right along with them. I watched until you could not see his little body or red shirt anymore. I watched for any glimpse that I could catch of him on the other side of the path behind the trees and over the bridge. I watched as children started to run thru the line and I felt myself tense up. Is he ok, is he tired, is he crying and about that time I spotted him. I watched as his red and sweaty face turned that last corner and the absolute determination in his eyes and he knew in that moment that he had almost made it. This was his very first run/race ever and he finished in the top 20. I could see the sparkle in his eye and although he didn't say it I could see in his face that he realized he could do things he never imagined. He also realized that he loved running, the excitment, the people, something he would have NEVER found out had he not  gone in with blind faith and was willing to try something new.

 

I feel like Tex and I are trying to be like Palmer jumping feet first into new experiences not knowing the path or even where it ends. Each time we do this it seems like we learn a little more about ourselves and the direction we want to be growing toward. Stepping out of your comfort zone is scary especially for personalities like mine and Palmer's but I keep getting the feeling that if God keeps sending me the message to step out of my comfort zone and keeps on presenting us with opportunities to do just that, then we can't lose when we are doing God's will and not ours. Palmer taught me a lot yesterday and showed me that when we do step out of our comfort zone great things can happen!

Blake Shelton

 

This weekend I got to go on a girls road trip to Nashville to see Blake Shelton. It was great! We stayed in an amazing hotel, went to dinner and had a BLAST. I do have quite the bone to pick with Blake. I spent months listening to his new cd and had every song memorized and I LOVED them. He sang 2 songs off of his new cd!!!! I was SO mad at him! It was still a good concert but I was REALLY hoping for all my favorite songs!

 

Kelly and I at the concert. We had not been out without kids in years. SO much fun catching up with my oldest and best friend!  

Sarah and I waiting for Blake to come on!!  

Dinner at Margaritaville, no high chairs, chicken fingers or meltdowns! We all laughed cause we ate our food SO fast. I think we forgot that we weren't on a time limit to get out of the restaurant before someone started throwing food or crying :) 

The Best Shot I could get of Blake. haha 

Jamie and Sarah downtown Nashville. It was SO fun and such good people watching. The outfits that 80% of people wore... WOW!!! 

In our hotel before going out!  

More Pics 

Kel and I after we got ready!  

Our hotel was so nice and this was literally the view from our room. The vanderbilt football stadium, so cool! 

As much fun as I had at the concert I missed my babies and husband! We had a great sunday and ended it with Chandler eating her first McD's ice cream cone. Talk about one mad baby, when it was gone she was fit to be tied! I love these moments. Home is definitely where my heart is for sure. I think all moms/girlfriends need a night away but it is the best feeling to come home to smiling faces, big hugs and the words "I missed you so much"!!! 

One and Six

Yesterday was one of those not so fun days when we took 2 out of 3 kids to the dr to knock out their well visits for the year. Fortunately for Palmer his 6 year old check up was a breeze, not shots, no pokes, no pricks... Sadly Miss Chandler did not have the same good fortune.

 

I loathe one year old shots. They are terrible, they make them feel horrible but I know they are of course a necessary evil.

 

Here is my sweet, happy girl for the only 5 minutes she was happy!!



My sweet happy girl was MAD, screaming, feisty, kicking, purple face mad and we hadn't even gotten to the shots!

Here she is before her shots! Luckily, we survived. She had a long night and a bad morning but I am thinking by tonight we will be better. Little did we know she also was battling 3 molars coming in and an ear infection. I felt SO bad for her!

Here are her stats. We knew she was perfect :) but apparently she got lucky and got her daddy's genes. The nurse said she is going to be tall and skinny, words that this momma has never heard in the same sentence! ha! After a lot of tears and screams we calmed down and made it out just fine!

 

Palmer was next! This kid is just plain cool. He has literally matured SO much over the last year it makes me want to cry. He is just easy and I love him with all of my heart and soul. He is killing it at football and I LOVE to watch him love a sport. He is killing it at school and I LOVE to watch him learning to read and his passion for books. I had and still have a passion for books and I can still remember vividly the book fair coming to school every year and I could have spent hours in there and he is the same way! Year Six for Palmer has rocked! I am SO proud of him!

 

He looked great and was right where he needed to be with height and weight! He is developing well, eating right (well as much as a picky six year old will eat) and just right on track!

 

TGIF is all I have to say :) The weather is beautiful and I am ready to enjoy the weekend!!!

What I've Been Up to Wednesday!

Oh my poor blog. I have missed writing and yet every time I think about posting it makes me overwhelmed. It seems like my work/life balance is a little off these days and the calendar continues to fill up and I continue to not know how I am going to manage to get everything done. In the end it always gets done but sometimes you just don't think it is possible!

 

I thought about doing multiple posts to catch up but then that seemed too daunting. My main question right now when I get presented with a new request, task, responsibility is "does this cause more stress than it's worth" if it does I am trying to say no or it can wait. We will see how this goes :)

 

So here is a recap as to what we have been up too! It has been a wonderful few weeks and even though I feel busy and not put together and unorganized at times I realize that this is it... this is what life is all about!

 

We got a date night out for my birthday!! It was wonderful to have a night just to enjoy each other and some friends without the worries of high chairs, chicken fingers and meltdowns! haha

 



 

We spent labor day weekend literally at the pool!!! It was glorious! I am a water women! Being by any body of water makes me happy!! We swam till our hearts content. The kids were in heaven!

 

When we weren't swimming and running we got to have moments like this... I love this picture! We need to have more lazy days and I know winter will bring more downtime and then I will wish it was summer and busy again! haha

 

We celebrated my 33rd birthday!!! This was a priceless moment. I have loved my 30's so far and I am sure 33 will be just as great!

 

Palmer scored his first touchdown and the whole family was their to watch. Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, etc... he was SO excited!

 

Uncle Matt and Kellye came in from California. It was a short trip but any time we have with them is precious. The kids love them so very much and so do we. Seeing them once or twice a year is hard but we soak up every minute when they are here!

 

My girls grew up?? What is happening? Especially Chandler in this picture, she is a brown biscuit and not a baby anymore :(

And last but not least yesterday Tex and I celebrated 9 years of marriage! It seems unreal and then again like it was yesterday! We have grown up so much since those carefree days of our early 20's. I wouldn't change a thing. Throughout it all he makes me laugh and is truly my best friend. In the end that is all you have left when all is said and gone. I love him with all of my heart and am so blessed with a beautiful family! Can't wait to spend the next 60 together!

 

Well, I am sure I left out tons but I feel better :) I am off to Blake Shelton concert this weekend. I don't think I have been more excited about a concert in a long time! Who am I kidding, I don't go to concerts anymore! I can't wait!